This is the last post from our trip to the Timbavati with Sue and Neville.

“Within my soul, within my mind,
There lies a place I cannot find.
Home of my heart. Land of my birth.
Smoke-coloured stone and flame-coloured earth.
Electric skies. Shivering heat.
Blood-red clay beneath my feet.

At night when finally alone,
I close my eyes – and I am home.
I kneel and touch the blood-warm sand
And feel the pulse beneath my hand
Of an ancient life too old to name,
In an ancient land too wild to tame.”

 –Michelle Frost ( part of the poem – WHITE SKIN AND AN AFRICAN SOUL)

It was our last morning and there was no way anyone was going to miss our last game drive. At 6h30 we were all out of camp. It was freezing cold, the sky was clear and dawn was breaking. We did our requisite stop at “hide waterhole” to see what, if anything, was drinking there – nothing. The Hippo family were watching us with their eyes and snouts just above the water. The scene was very peaceful and ablaze with colour from the rising sun.

Not ten minutes later as we were driving up the hill, a small herd of Wildebeest galloped passed us. Pat immediately picked up on this, saying that it was strange for them to be behaving like this and there was probably a predator around.

Pat was right, there was a predator around and another and another….. In fact there was a pride of seven Lion around. Our luck  – this was the pride with two white Lions. The sun was still rising and it was probably around 7h00.

Even in the early low light their white coats were very distinctive.

The first record of White Lions dates back over 400 years in African history. The first White Lion sighting by an European was only in the early 1930’s. This was in the Timbavati region. In the ancient Shangaan language, Timbavati means “The Place Where Star Lions Came Down From The Heavens”.  (http://www.cango.co.za/lions). These majestic creatures are said to be descendants of celestial beings that gave rise to a sacred lineage of noble African kings.

According to the legends of the Shangaan people living deep in the wilds of Southern Africa, White Lions are the Messengers of the Gods, and their presence in their tribal lands ensures peace and prosperity for all. Scientists were unable to document their existence until they were spotted again in the mid 1970s. (http://www.whitelionjourneys.com)

“Gentle pink dawns and shimmering vermilion days
Harsh desert heat where life cowers
Blood sunsets on red sands
Freezing dry nights, where ready predators lurk.”

part of a poem Listen by Graham Vivian Lancaster

For many centuries, African kings identified the lands of Timbavati as a protected area. It falls on the Nile meridian (31 degrees East), a ley line which is also referred to as “Zep Tepi,” believed to be the spot at which life first emerged on the planet. This area also happens to be exactly aligned with the great Sphinx of ancient Egypt, a representation of the fusion of human beings and lions, both considered to be at the apex of their respective kingdoms.(http://www.whitelionjourneys.com). These are the kinds of stories you listen to while sitting around the camp fire and gazing into the flames while your imagination dances with the sparks up into the the dark star-filled sky.

Judging from the pride interaction, the Lions do not pay any attention to the differences in the colour of their coats.

Soft early morning light in the bush.

The pride eventually stopped to rest and laid up in reasonably thick bush above one of the waterholes.

It was very peaceful scene with just the sound of the odd Crested Spurfowl calling in the distance.

These Lions looked very comfortable soaking up the warm winter sun after what must have been a busy night.

The White Lions are very popular probably because of all the mystic and legend surrounding them, so we had to give others a chance to see them and left them to go a find a place to talk about what we had just seen over a cup of coffee and muffin. Pat took us to a familar waterhole, at which we had stopped on day two. We stopped on the dam wall so we could see what was coming. Pat had heard that there was a large herd of Buffalo in the area and what a brilliant surprise, they stopped for a drink too.

It was a very large herd, I did not count them but there must have been over 500. A part of the herd had already drunk and had moved on into the bush.

This old bull was at the back of the herd. By the look of the colour on his hind leg  I think he might have recently had a tangle with Lions.

Once the Buffalo had moved away from the waterhole, a few Zebra came down to drink. They walked down and immediately had a good look around, saw us and figured we were far enough away not to be a problem and proceeded to drink. The wildlife does not hang around once it has had its drink of water and quickly merges back into the bush, probably because there is a good chance predators will be lurking in the surrounding bush.

 On our way back to camp, we came across this very cold Lilac-breasted Roller.

A little further on we saw this Steenbok close to the road but it seemed quite relaxed, standing still long enough to get a shot.

The end of a brilliant four days in the bush. Thank you Timbavati, thank you Walker’s Camp staff and a big thank you to Pat and Eileen for a wonderful four days with some great sightings. It was fun meeting Joan, Eddie and Lizette, and Richard and Wendy. We all got on really well together spiced with animated conversations about life the country and wildlife stories. To Sue and Neville thank you again for inviting us to join your group of friends for a memorable four days in the Timbavati.

AFRICA, MY AFRICA
“The smell of rain upon parched, dry ground
Songs of Africa fill the air as drums pound
Majestic sunsets, vistas grand
My soul dissolved within this land

The roar of a lion, call of the wild
Music to the ears of an innocent child
The smell of smoke from a charcoal fire
Fancy toy gallimotos made from wire

Mangoes, paw paws, sugar cane too
The sweetest delights for me and you
Elephant grass, black jacks in our socks
Skimming the river with small flat rocks

Slag heaps, slimes dams, ant hills abound
Bare feet raise dust swirls as we run around
The pure white smile of a picannin’s grin
Acapella harmony as rich voices sing

A million stars grace the African skies
The beat of wings as a fish eagle flies
Bright chitengi wrapped around hips that sway
Dusty children, laughing at play

Maize pounded diligently, thud after thud
Little round huts made from grass and mud
A canoe bobbing silently at water’s edge
A creeping, purple bougainvillea hedge

White floating clouds, in a deep blue sky
Memories like these bring a tear to my eye
For here I am in the land of the free
But I forgot to bring my heart with me…

Africa, My Africa
You will always burn bright in my soul.”
 – Linda (Dore) Hayes 2001

The poems can be found at Linda Smith’s WordPress website. Have a look, it is superb with special meaning to those who have lived in Rhodesia, now called Zimbabwe.

https://lindasmithinspiration.wordpress.com

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun,

Mike

This is the third post from our recent trip to the Timbavati with friends, Neville and Sue Kelly in mid-June.

“If you want to go fast go alone,

If you want to go far go together.”

 – African Proverb

On our third morning we left camp before sunrise as usual. This Grey Heron  was fishing in “hide waterhole” despite the air temperature being icey cold. It did not like us passing by and flew off into a tall dead tree alongside the waterhole.

The Grey Heron settled in the tall dead tree alongside “hide waterhole”. The sun was just starting to rise but it was really nippy.

The Purple Roller is as beautiful as the Lilac-breasted Roller but in a more subtle way. Once it flies you can see the purple feathers on its belly and under its wings. You will not see as many Purple Rollers as you will the ubiquitous Lilac-breasted Rollers.

After a relatively quiet start to the morning, Pat found this Leopardess, Rockfig Junior and her growing cub. Initially, they were in thick bush making it impossible to get a clear shot.

This is where Pat’s knowledge of the bush and animal behaviour was so important. He quickly assessed that she probably had a kill somewhere in the area and Rockfig Junior was taking her cub to feed on the hidden kill.

We drove down the hill closer to the river and Pat stopped the game vehicle where he thought she would come out. Sure enough Rockfig Junior emerged about ten minutes later. She and her cub walked right passed us. She was not perturbed by us but stopped every now and then to assess the lie of the land.

Rockfig Junior and her cub walked some distance apart. That was probably so that if they walked into another predator they could scatter easily.

These Leopards blended into the bush beautifully. If you did not know they were there and they stood still, I doubt you would see them.

“Opportunity doesn’t make appointments,

You have to be ready when it arrives.” 

– Tim Fargo

Within a couple of hundred metres of the hidden kill, Rockfig Junior stopped to have a look around.

As many cats do, the cub rubbed itself against its mother. They also stroke each other with their tails.

Rockfig Junior was not taking any chances and was having a good look around once she got closer to the kill. Perhaps she was looking out for Hyaenas in case they had picked up the scent of the kill, even though it was well hidden.

You can see the lithe strength of this Leopardess.

The cub walked ahead of its mother, obviously hungry, but did not know where the kill was and relied on its mother to steer it in the general direction of the hidden feast.

We were privileged to watch these two Leopards for about 45 minutes as they walked through the bush to the hidden kill. Once they had got to the kill and started to pull the hair off the carcass, we decided to leave them to feed in peace. After all the excitement, it was time for a coffee break. As we were driving out of the area and just before we stopped we came across this young male Lion.

He got up when he saw us and started to walk into the bush behind him and then stopped, turned around and came back to his resting place.

He was watching us carefully but seemed relaxed, probably because he had recently fed, judging from the size of his belly.

I must have developed my fondness for this type of scene from my childhood in Zimbabwe. I enjoy the sand roads, even with their corrugations. Somehow they seem to interfere less in the bush than a tar road and you get the feeling of being in a far away place.

Tabi’s crossing. Pat told us that Tabi was the Lioness that produced the white lion cubs first seen in 1975, and this was the spot where they were first seen.

Sue’s Sycamore. Just passed Tabi’s crossing Sue wanted to take a closer look at this huge Sycamore fig tree. I got off the game vehicle to get a closer shot. This Sycamore was on the other side of the dry river bed and it was massive. When I was standing on the bank taking my shots, Pat called to me to say that because the well-fed male we had just seen was not too far away there was possibly a Lioness in the area and I should not linger. Just then I heard movement in the bush next to the riverbed about 20 metres further on. Needless to say that was just the prompt I needed to get by “a” back onto the game vehicle.

A sand road on our way back from seeing Rockfig Junior. The elevated perspective shows you that the area is very flat.

There are big and small things in Timbavati. While we were having coffee this dragonfly stopped on a dead  stalk close to the game vehicle. Being a photographer it was irresistible.

Just before “one beer” bridge we found this Giraffe browsing on the treetops just next to Walker’s River Camp. We had Nyala and Impala in the camp. It is wonderful to have all of this life around you.

“Sun glows for a day,

Candle for an hour,

Matchstick for a minute,

But a good day can glow forever.

GOOD MORNING……””

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun,

Mike

This post shows some of the images taken on the second day of our Timbavati trip with Pat Donaldson showing us around. The routine in the camp was reveillie at 5h45, coffee at 6h15 and out of the camp at 6h30 before sunrise. Of course photographers wanted to get the sunrise. It was freezing cold first thing in the morning and even colder on a moving open vehicle!!!

“Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.”

 – Arthur Ashe

As you drive out of Walker’s River Camp there is a very narrow concrete causeway called “one beer” bridge, for obvious reasons. The evening before the staff in the camp said they had seen a Cheetah in the river bed in front of the camp, when we were out on our game drive.  We did not expect the Cheetah to stay close by during the night, but were surprised to see this female Cheetah on the camp side of the Klaserie river as we drove out of the camp the next morning at around 6h30. She was relaxed and had the fullest belly I have ever seen on a Cheetah, and no she was not pregnant.

It was very cold due to the temperature inversion in the riverbed, nevertheless we sat and watched this female Cheetah for about 20 minutes. She was looking around and smelling various marked areas but eventually crossed “one beer” bridge and walked along the riverbank until she found a suitable spot to drink. I am always amazed that the wildlife and birds are able to control their temperature because in this area they would have to tolerate plus 40 degrees centrigrade temperatures in summer and freezing in winter.

Cheetahs are runners not fighters so she was very wary and kept looking up to check there were no surprises.

Having sated her early morning thirst she  wandered up onto higher ground possibly because it was warmer and eventually lay down under a small bush. With a belly that full, we figured she would probably lie around that area all day, unless disturbed.

A little while later, once the sun had risen, we came upon this Fish Eagle on the ground next to a waterhole. Perhaps it was fishing for catfish but it had not caught anything by the time we arrived. The Fish Eagle did not like our presence and flew up into a dead tree overlooking the waterhole. It sat basking in the early morning sun for a while before deciding to fly off to a place with fewer eyes.

The Timbavati has a wonderful diversity of animals, birds and flora. The next image is of a wet Burchell’s Coucal which had fluffed itself up to keep warm and dry out. I am fascinated by these birds because that have wonderful colouring, a “liquid gold” call which is so distinctive and they are also serious predators.

We were driving along enjoying the warmth of the winter morning sun when Pat suddenly stopped. Across the road , hardly discernible, was a thin line of what looked like spider’s thread. This was the clue Pat needed to look for a particular caterpillar. Sure enough he found the a small group of Processionary Caterpillars on the trunk of a Marula tree. Convoys of these caterpillars are sometimes seen crossing roads and pathways in a single line, each caterpillar following another in a head-to-tail procession. Some of these processions can be 600 caterpillars long!

A while later with the sun higher in the sky, we found a small breeding herd of Elephant. They were browsing in reasonably thick bush so we parked some distance up wind. Slowly but surely they made the way towards us. The breeding herd had calves but the mothers were relaxed as they were progressing towards us not the other way around.

One little youngster could not resist hiding in a a low Mopani bush and peeking at us, as if we could not see it..

On our way back to the camp for breakfast, we stopped to photograph a band of Dwarf Mongooses which had hidden in an abandoned anthill.  The scouts in the group were wary, but inquisitive.

You do not often get a chance to photograph these little Mongooses, as they usually quickly run off into the undergrowth.

Being a keen bird phtographer, I always want to try to get a reasonable image of the birds we see. This was a Southern White-crowned Shrike which was very obliging and posed for a few seconds before flying off.

This is what remained of a Rhino courtesy of poachers!!!!!!!!!

“Sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul.”  

–Edward Abbey 

Further on we stopped at “hide” waterhole to see if anything had begun to feed on the submerged Wildebeest. Not even this crocodile had managed to get into it.

Just before we got back to the camp, we found our full bellied female Cheetah. She was just relaxing in the shade of a bush, very close to were we had left her some hours before. With her tummy that full she was not going anywhere.

The afternoon game drive was relatively quiet so we stopped before the sunset to have a sundowner. This is a time of the day, even in winter, when it is still relatively warm and the colours in the sky start to come alive. The dryness of winter produces more dust in the air which can result in spectacular sunsets. In the distance you can see Mariepskop, which is the northern most part of the Drakensberg range of mountains.

Sunsets in this part of the world are often at their best around 20 to 30 minutes after the sun has set. That is the time when the colours become really saturated and the sky is ablaze with reds, oranges, purples and blues. I always fell like I need to pinch myself when the sky is ablaze with colour like this because it seems so dream-like.

Pat turned on the lights of the game vehicle to signal to the photographers that it was time to go.

The sun set on another magic day in the bush.

“What I see everywhere in the world are ordinary people willing to confront despair, power, and incalculable odds in order to restore some semblance of grace, justice, and beauty to this world.”

– Paul Hawken

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun,

Mike

Sue and Neville Kelly were kind enough to invite us to join them and a group of their friends in the Timbavati at Walker’s River Camp for four days in the middle of June – it was a magic time. We were lucky enough to have Pat and Eileen Donaldson looking after us for the four days. Pat is a seasoned wildlife guide in the Timbavati area so knows the area intimately and Eileen was a wonderful host looking after us in the lodge. When you go into the bush as a “towny” you need someone with detailed knowledge of the area to be able to orient you in the limited time you have in the bush. Pat was just that person.

“Love meeting new people, travelling to new places, hearing new experiences and stories, and finding new evidence”.

 – Unknown

The Walker’s River Camp is located along the Klaserie river very close to the Timbavati gate. In 1956, a group of conservation minded landowners formed the Timbavati Association (http://www.timbavati.co.za/overview/history). The aim was to reclaim the land for the benefit of all. Today, there are over 50 members who have succeeded in restoring the land to its natural state with diverse and rare wildlife  and flora species. In 1993, in recognition of the importance of the area, the fences between the Kruger National Park and the Timbavati Game Reserve were removed to encourage natural species migration. 

The first birds we saw in Walker’s River Camp were were the Dusky and Black Flycatchers. They were very active from about 11h00 to 14h00 as that must have been the time of greatest insect activity. I only managed to get a reasonable image of a Dusky Flycatcher.

The first afternoon out we saw this Black-backed Jackal who was basking in the warm winter sun. He gave us nothing but a passing glance. There are many predators in the Timbavati so the Jackals can make a good living as long as they keep out of harm’s way.

The next morning we drove passed the closest waterhole, which we called “hide waterhole”, just to see what was going on there. A small family of Hippos were submerged in the icey morning water with the amber reflected dawn light silhouetting them.

A wider angle shot a short while later once the sun had started to rise across the “hide waterhole”. An adult Wildebeest had died in the water, cause unknown, and was lying semi-submerged for almost a day and surprisingly nothing had touched it by the time we had passed.

Further on we came across this lone young Hyaena returning from its night’s foraging. Judging from the size of its belly the night’s picking looked fairly lean. Surprisingly, it was not too far from the “hide waterhole” but this Hyaena seemed not to have scented the dead Wildebeest.

A juvenile Martial Eagle sitting in a large dead tree close to the waterhole presumably waiting for prey to come down for its last drink.

After some driving we came across a coalition of three male Lions – a dominant force on any terms. We found all three males lying deep in thick bush. After some time, two of the males moved into a more open area. One male was lying low in the short grass just watching us. Although he looks intimidating, he was relaxed but keeping an eye on us.

One of the other males decided to get up and go and investigate something that caught his attention down near the river. He was a magnificent fully grown specimen who looked like he could get what ever he wanted.

The scars on his nose show that he has had to fight for his current status and territory. It was still relatively early but the sun was up and the light was good which made his pupils contract into little black dots.

He walked across the sand road on his way down to the dry river bed. It is only when these male lions are in the open do you get a sense of just how big they are, and it is times like this you are grateful to be on the game vehicle and not on foot armed with nothing but a camera.

Down in the small river bed, a scent had caught his attention. 

After a short investigation he lost interest in the river bed scent and climbed up the bank, closer to us, in front of a big thorn bush and flopped down. I caught him just as he was reclining, looking  a touch too effeminate.

Now he looks more like a testosterone-driven male Lion. There were no Lionesses around so presumably these three males were just patrolling their territory.

I have included this image just to show you the environs in which we found this coalition.

After spending about three quarters of an hour watching these males do very little, we decided to find a spot some distance away to have our morning coffee break. We stopped at a small waterhole and I was struck by this solitary dead tree in the water suspending a colony of Buffalo Weaver nests which were lined with Village Weaver nests. There was hardly a ripple on the water and it was a warm South African winter morning in the bush, still and peaceful.

At this time of the year, the leaves of the Tambotei tree turn this deep red, really punctuating the brown, greens, oranges and yellows of the flora in winter.

There are quite a few waterholes in the Timbavati area. This was another example of the dead still, cool winter morning where the reflections in the water were near perfect.

On our way back to the camp, we stopped at the “hide waterhole” and disturbed this family of young Hippos. They immediately bolted for the water. As a photographer you try to catch that perfect moment when they launch themselves into the water.

A fraction of a second later, a relatively sedate entrance.

A view of another waterhole later that day at sunset. Whilst it is fun to get sunset images you need to be aware that there is crocodile, “flat dog”, which has seen you next to the water’s edge and is probably on its way over to greet you.

The magic of an African sunset.

The Timbavati is one of those special places in South Africa where landowners have co-operated for the common purpose of protecting the flora and wildlife and have taken down the fences and opened the area up to the Kruger Park allowing the animals unrestricted access. This map shows you the  lie of the land.

“Wilderness, in whatever way we describe it, becomes a chance for human beings to redeem their humanity. It is a place where we go to contemplate our origins, examine our past, and plan our future. It is manna for the soul and hope for all life.”

– Ian Player

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its inter-connectedness and let it be.

Have fun,

Mike

This is the last post from my recent trip with CNP to Etosha in May 2015. I have selected a few images which I think illustrate the feeling of the Etosha we saw. The starkness is countered by the abundant wildlife and amazing scenery.  The dryness and dust create some wonderful photographic opportunities. I have chosen to show the images as a gallery to illustrate my point rather than to mix the images with narrative.

Thirsty stripes.

Family time.

The first rays of sun.

Take a bow.

Safety in numbers.

“Many photographers think they are photographing nature when they are only caricaturing her.”

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hot footing Andoni.

Massive knowledge.

Oxpecker’s view.

Trunking water.

Bull stand off.

No competition.

“When I started my adventure in photography, I was suddenly introduced to the world around me. I can’t believe I have been so blind for too many years.”

– Laura Tate Sutton

Golden ivory.

Andoni fun run.

Prints in the pan.

Solitary stripes.

“Photography is a medium, a language, through which I might come to experience directly, live more closely with, the interaction between myself and nature.”

– Paul Caponigro

Wild dance at dawn.

Beyond Two Palms.

Martial meals.

Hyaena hydro.

Desert expert.

Terrapin heaven.

Springbok panning.

Towering trio.

“Keep your love of nature, for that is the true way to understand art more and more.”

–Vincent Van Gogh

Reflection over a drink.

A gathering of Giraffes.

An embassy of Eland.

Spooked stripes and wild beests.

Big sky and mirages.

Musth bull.

Transfixed transitions.

Preening Pelicans at Fishers.

Young play mates.

“A picture must not be invented, but felt. . . Close your bodily eye so that you may see your picture first with the spiritual eye. Then bring to the light of day that which you have seen in the darkness so that it may react upon others from the outside inwards…
The artist should not only paint what he sees before him, but also what he sees within him.  I must be entirely by myself, and know that I am alone in order to see and perceive Nature completely. Nothing should stand between her and myself. I must give myself to my surroundings, must merge with my clouds and cliffs in order to become what I am.”

– Caspar David Friedrich

A big thank you again to CNP for a wonderful five days in Etosha doing what I love. Also a big thank you to Johan Greyling for showing us they way!!!

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its interconnectedness and let it be.

Have fun,

Mike